The Strategy consists of broad regional policies to provide a planning framework for the way in which land is used and development takes place in Northern Ireland. Its successful implementation, or in other words, what happens on the ground, depends on the outcome of the decisions of individuals, companies and agencies from the public, private and voluntary sectors. The Department, as the planning authority, has a positive role in facilitating development through the process of designating land in statutory plans and controlling development when determining planning applications.